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As a child I wanted to be a teacher. I would line up my dolls and pretend to teach them using my recycled worksheets from school. Of course, I went ahead and pursued a career in teaching!
A typical day involves managing Strata insurance claims, providing training and technical support to the team, ensuring there is advocacy for our clients from the start of a claim until the very end, and providing our clients with the best possible service and claim outcome.
I joined Honan in early July 2020 with a background in Property Claims and Training & Development. Since then, I have had the opportunity to apply my skills and knowledge, and I have gained invaluable exposure and experience through specialising in Strata claims.An opportunity presented itself and in April, I transitioned into the Claims Team Lead role – overseeing the team and working closely with Client Executives of the Strata Team.
I completed a Bachelor of Education (Secondary) and a Bachelor of Science, majoring in Marine Biology, which was a lot of fun! After graduation, I started teaching full-time. I began feeling exhausted every day and my happiness gradually diminished. I drew up a pros and cons list to re-evaluate what I wanted.
My family is in the construction industry, so I had an interest in buildings and there was a role in Property Claims that appealed to me. I decided to apply for the position, despite having no formal experience. I believe it was my transferable skills and motivation that made them confident I could succeed in the role. I was given on the job training and I quickly grasped the process in claims management. I found joy and purpose in what I did. It was challenging and rewarding. I am very grateful I was given this opportunity to establish a career in the Insurance industry.
Later, I took an opportunity in training and development, which involved training new starters and upskilling existing staff. However, I missed the fast-paced environment and the problem-solving aspects of my day, so I returned to managing claims.
Every day is different and unpredictable. I enjoy the opportunities for problem-solving and bouncing ideas off others within the team. I am grateful to be working alongside a great team and to have such supportive leaders.
Changing careers. Stepping into a completely different industry and role was extremely challenging. It was like pouring out half my glass of teaching and Science knowledge so I could have an open mind to fill the cup back up with new knowledge and experiences in insurance claims.
Having a positive attitude has helped me embrace change, to see the better side of things, and achieve my goals. It helped me realise it’s completely okay to change careers after investing years in something else. It pushed me to work hard, to concentrate on the task at hand and believe there was something good ahead of the problem. My teaching days definitely toughed me up as well!
Working with people who share the same values and work ethic motivates me, and having fun is also important. Being at Honan allows me to tick all three!
Life is full of surprises. Go for it - expect the unexpected and always keep learning. Do what you enjoy because happiness is the key to success.
In the current digital age, we have access to so many excellent online resources. I will be delving into more people management and development tools to inspire and set the team up for success and growth.
